Electropneumatic brake system.



" v J. s. DOYLE.

ELEOTROPNBUMATIG BRAKE SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.17, 1910.

1 90,841 I Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES .J'AMES S. DOYLE, OFNEW YORK. N, Y

PATENT OFFMJE.

.. ASSIG-NOR TOTHE \VESTINGI-IOUSE AIR BRA'KE ELECTROPNEUMATIC BRAKE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pattgni'gd jflap 2,? 1914,,

Application filedTrIarch 17, 1910. Serial 1%. 549.978.

T0 (ZZZ whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, JAMES S. 1)OYLF., a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York. have made. a certain new and useful invention in Electropneumatic Brake Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to air brake systems and particularly to means for securing an increased application of air brake pres sure in applying the brakes.

The object of the invention is-to provide means which are simple and 'etiicient for controlling the application of increased pressure to the air brake mechanisms of surface, subway, elevated and other street or passenger cars or trains.

A. further object of the invention is to provide means for reducing the time re quired to stop trains thereby reducing the distance between adjacent trains or cars in the operation of street or railway systems, and consequently reducing the headway of such cars. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide means which are simple and effi--' cient for increasing the number and speed of cars or trains in a street car or railway system, to permit of the handling of connested passenger our traffic.

Av further object of the invention is to provide means for securing simultaneous and synchronousaction of the brakes, in the emergency or other application thereof, on all the cars of a train.

A further object. of the invention is to provide means, whereby the electric control of the pneumatic brake mechanism may be cut out of service, if required, throughout the train in case of short circuiting of the circuit thereof at any point.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter. e

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

The single figure of the drawing is a dia- ,qrammatic view of a car air brake equipmentembodying my'imprqvements.

A serious proble. if the handling of metropolitan sti'eet,car traific and in the attainment of rapid transit, is the difiiculty pf operating cars or trains with a minimum I headway space between the cars or the trains without incurring danger of collisions. In- I creased demands for rapid transit facilities, equipment and operation of surface, subway and elevated street car systems, and the rapid handling of congested passenger tratlic require that trains or cars be operated in as close order as possible, While at the same time a safety limit of spacing apart of cars or trains must be observed in orCcr to avoid danger of loss of life, or prii pcrty by reason of accidents resulting 1 from collisions. Mostsystems at present in I operation are equipped with signal devices arranged in block order and which are designed to give Warning to the motorman of one car ortrain of his near approach to the next car or train ahead, and in some instances safety devices are provided by in ans of which the brake mechanism of the car or train is operated automatically to stop the car or train in case through negligence, inattention orother cause, the train should overrun a signalhlock, or in casethe signal system should fail to properly operate. While this arrangement aids in securing a reduction in the headway be tween cars or trains considerable time is lost in resetting the automatic valve tripping mechanism which controls the operation of the bralte devices. Again, where the emer gency (pr other applications of the brakes are controlled electrically, "such control is dependent upon the integrity of the wiring system, or, in other words, upon the proper maintenance of the circuit connections, and insulation failures, as in other electric circuits, are. veryrliable to occur, particularly in the rough usage encountered in street or other railway operations. Insulation failures are of course apt to cause the operation of the brake mechanism where such operation is dependent upon the completion of a circuit through electrically operated valves which control the supply of pressure me dium to the brake mechanism, and where such a system is employed on trains of eight or ten cars, more or less, the groundinn" of the control circuit at any point in the system, through insulation failure or other cause results in a setting of the brakes. here a street or other railway car sy tem is being operated under intense conditions, of high speed and close headway between vii 'lll'illflS, time is consumed in .v i, l the loealilly the ground, the brakes 1r lng set and the tr in being; t-ln ground is discorcreil, thereln t out the time schedule of the en .i

causing annoying delays t l'rloreover, in the operation, under present methods, of lliO brake mechanisms of trains,

brakes are applied. serially throughout 3 the train, this function beginning," usually on the forward. car, or oil the front end oi the train, and continuing successively through the suheequent! cars of the train; throughout the length of the train. This; operation is extremely dangerous, cud purl'icularly Where trains ogeraied 23; high Speeder, for the reason that Lhe, a iplication E 05;? the l 1lS on the front car or the train causes the forward end of the train to he arrested with a quick all)? before the hr uhes on. the rear cure or at the rear end ol the train can he applied, thereby caueing the forward portion and causing injury to the ears or to the passengers.

The controlling factor in securing a i'eduction oi the headway between cars or trains, or in spacing apart the automatic or signals, having the dis- -j rear portion of lhe tram to collide with the i broke tripping .(lQVICES' due regard to safety of operation, is 1 fiance Witliiii which trains or cars can he stopped whileoperating at a maximum. l speed. Under normal conditions at preeeut i obtaining in the operation of subway trains, l for instance, this distance fourteen hundred feet. By suitably reducing this diete'uce within which trains or cars can be i stopped, that is by reducing the time elei'ncnt l in eiiecthg" the stoppage of trains, it evident that the distance apart at which the cars or trains may be operated wilhin safety limits can be cormspoudiiir"v reduced, and hence increasing" the number of trains or cars which can he operated over the system, thereby pmyidiug increasifacilities; for handling the volume oi tcralfie.

In order to enable insulation ditiicullziee to be overcome, that is, to periiuit the release of lirahes which may have been applied or set through failure of insulation or other cause, Without the necessity ofthe delay incident to searching for a ground the important feature is to so co trol the circuit of the hrulze control devicee, as to rezulily cut, out the electric control. thereby releasing the brakes and enabling: the car or train to procoed on its Way under conditions of ordinary l control, whereby the car or train may pro- 3 ceed to the car harms or repair shop or the purpose oi having; the faulty insulation orii ground c rrected without tying; up or dcl laying the operation of other trains on the 1 system. And in or er to prevent the dan- QEIS due to a serial application of t7 e brakes hroughout the train. of cars, the important toi'uatically and electrically through the op thiviughout the train for supplying current and essential feature is; to etlect a simultaneous and synchronous application of all the lilulifi devices on all the cars throughoutthe train.

It is among the special purposes of my gireeeni invention to provide means whereby the time element involved in train or car stoppage is reduced, thereby. reducing the headway space hctv .cn cars or trains, and in -:-urryi1,1;? .f out'my invention 1 provide Xl'lGilIlS for increasing the supply of pressure me :lium to the brake mechanism in effecting the stoppage of the caror train. I also provide means for accomplishing? thle result auso uruiion of a valve which controls the additional eiipply pressure i'uediuni to the brake mechanism, 1 also provide various urw'sngciucnts of appliances for operating the valve, or for controlling the operation fuel-col in order to insure safety in the operation of the system. I also propose, in accordance with the principles of my invention to employ a train line circuit extending to all the valve operating devices on all the cars, and to control the supply of current to this circuit by the motorman through controller switches located on each car of the lu'alzcs release-fl throughout the train by the motoruian merely cutting out the train line circuit. I also propoee to avoid accident, and damage due to the serial application of the brakes throughout the train by securin sii'nultenceus and synchronous application 0 all the brakes throughout the train.

iltccording to the drawing, the car air brake ap mratus mav goinprise the stora e tank or reservoir E from which the bra e operating medium supplied to the brake cylinder, and a supplemental pressure reservoir F thc pressure from which may be employcd to augment that supplied to the brake cylinder when it is desired toreduce the time required to stop the or train. An electrically opera-ted valve designated generally by reference sign G, F lg. 1, is arranged to control the supply of auxiliary pressure to the brake cylinder to shorten the time of stoppage of the car or train. This may be accomplished by arranging the valve G, to control the connection between the reservoirs F and E, as shown in the drawin In the arrzmgement shown the ordinary supply of pressiure medium from the supply reservoir to the brake cylinder is controlled by the engineers or motormans control I" valve the casing which is indicated generally at H, while the valve operating lever or handle is indicated by reference sign-J:

ll; is obvious that the brake mechanism and its ordinary controlling devices may be through train pipe L,

or" any usual or well known construction, type or arrangement, and While, thereiorc, l have shown illustrative, embodiments o1" suitable arrangements for 'errying out the 1 ob ects and purposes of my invention, I do i not desire to be limited or restricted, 1n the broadest scope of the claims, to the type, construction or arrangement thereof.

In accordance with my invention 1 pro poseto control in various Ways and from various points the circuit connections of the electrically operated valve Thus, in one arrangement, I include the engineci"s or motormans brake control valve handle or lever J, in an electric circuit 13, grounded at E, and which circuitis completed through said lever J, and. a, contact Mmgejinst which said lever beers when-in certain position, thence through connections 15, 31, sntl 11, the coils of the solenoid 6 or the electrically operated. valve device G, and connection 12 to a suitable source of current. As illustre-- tive of 2. suitable arren ement which an swcrs the purpose, but to which, of course, my invention is not to be limited or r s'firictechl have shown the connection. 1:2 as leading to a contact; shoe 16, operating against athirol rail or conductor 1?. filth this arrangement it will be seen that Whenever lever J, is moved into ptrsltion to mark contact with the contact i l, a. circuit through the valve operating cleviceG, is completed thereby actuating the valve and hence eclmitting' augmented or auxiliary pressure to the lorelie mechanism thereby increasing the braking action and. effecting a. stoppage of the train or car in a shorter space of time than would he requinecl if the ordinary hick-- ingpressure controlled by the valve lever J i in the usual manner, were depended on.

Another arrangement is shown for con1pletingthe circuit of the electric valve device G, through the control handle M of the controller N. Associated with handle M is lever 18, which is moved or shifted when the control handle M is grasped by the en gineer or motorn'ien, so as to sepuT-ntc the contacts 19, 20. 'Vhen, hoiveve, the handle M is released the lever 18 moved by a spring ill, or otherwise lo close contacts 19, upon each other thereby ciiuupleting the electri circuit from the source of current through ((illllUC'llQl'l 1Z2, coil 6, wire ii. Wllt' -l l. wire contacts 19, 20. lever .18, and Wire to grmuul at. and hence operating the valve to supply the :uldikionul or HlXlllul'V pressure to the hrulre cylinder. I

Another :1 range! the .upletion of t e (J -vii. 1-, mo be controlled by the r-omlucto: cord O. thus allot-(ling means fol-effectin quick stoppage of the on r or trui'o from any point in the length of the our my invention as defined in particular or an specific T l l 1 l l I l l l l l i l "it shown wherein circuit of the vulve= or tru in v I safety In this case the pulling of the cord 0, causes i trip arm P, carried by the car makes contact.

with stops R, placed at suitable points along the line of the road, thereby completing circult from the current source through circuit wire 12-, valve device G, circuit Wire 11, Wire wire 29, car trip I, track trip R, and fire 30 to ground E. The completion ofthe circuit through the valve device G, may also be effected in case two cars of a train should pull spurt, by means of a. circuit Wire 31, extending;- ft'rom car to cor throughout the train, and haw-mg the usual coupling between the cars as liNllCRlQd at constructed to make a grouull connection in case the coupling 32 shoulrl pert, thereby completing circuit from the current source through circuit Wire 12. valve (levice G circuit wire 11, .Wire 31, and wire 33 to ground F.

is obvious that the ground connection may he efi'cclzecl in any one or all ofthe instances above noted, or other suitable-er rangements for accomplishing the some purposes, through the truck; frame, axles, or Wheels of the car or otherwise as may be convenient. It will also be seen that I seecure a simultaneous and synchronous operation and application of slit-he brake mechw nisms on ell. the cars throughout the train, Whenever thewelve control circuit is completecl to ground at any point;

it sometimes happen that the motorn'lsn may, through carelessness, neglect or other cause, throw his control lever J, too far or not fer enough to cause on emergency application of the brake mechanism, or may, in an exigency, throw his lever J, in the Wrong direction, and before his mistake or error is discovered, a collision may occur. ln order to prevent this, in addition to the contact ll, inehe line circuit 15, with which cooperates the lever J, 1 also employ another contact 43, connected through conductor 45, with the line circuit 15, thus p ovi ling an additional means through which thcen'lergency application of the brakes may he cli'ectetl in a clillerentposition of the control level J.

The various aarrangements for controlling the circuit connections of the valve operut lug means, being simple in their nuture, uncl 021("i'1 plyingan additional element of in the operation of the system, may all be mployed, or one or more of them may be associated together, without depart ore from the spirit and scope of'urv invention us defined in the claims, the essential feature being that provision is muclc for decreasing the time required for stopping a ill car or train by supplying additional or extra pressure to the brake mechanism, that is by increasing the braking eilort of the brake mechanism, and hence I am enabled to operetc a greater number of cars or trains over the system and to maintain a shorter head way space between adjacent cars or trains without dangerof accident or injury through collision.

Having now' set forth the object and nature of my invention, and arrangements embodying the principles thereof, What I claim as new and useful and of my own 111 vention, and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 2..The combination with car brake mech anism, of a pressure supply reservoir, a valve for controlling the supply of pressure medium from the reservoir to the brake mechanism, electrical devices for operating said valve, 21 power controller, a brake valve, and means controlled by said power controller and brake valve for controlling the circuit of said electrical devices.

3. The combination with an electrically controlled car brake operative to effect an application of the brakes u n grounding the electric circuit. thereof, 0 a brake valve, an electric car controller and a conductozs cord, each adapted to ground the circuit of said electrically controlled car bra-kc.

In testimofly ,whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing witnesses, on this 4th day of March, A. D.

JAMES S: DOYLE. \Vitnesses:

C. C. HEURIGHE, S. E. DARBY. 

